Global Courant 2023-05-31 21:09:35
Nevada’s Joe Lombardo on Tuesday became one of the first Republican governors to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those who passed new laws to strengthen their status as abortion safe havens patients.
The legislation codifies an existing executive order from former Governor Steve Sisolak last year — who lost reelection to Lombardo — that prohibits state agencies from assisting with out-of-state investigations that could lead to the prosecution of abortion patients traveling to Nevada. It also ensures that medical boards and committees that oversee medical licensing do not discipline or disqualify doctors who perform abortions.
Lombardo, who describes himself as “pro-life” and was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee, said during the campaign trail that he would respect the will of voters who codified abortion rights to 24 weeks in a 1990 referendum. He was the only Republican who defeated an incumbent Democratic state in the last election.
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“I want to thank (Lombardo) for honoring his commitment to make sure Nevada will not participate in the persecution of women who come here to exercise their reproductive rights,” said Nicole Cannizzaro, the Senate Majority Leader, which sponsored the legislation, in a statement Tuesday.
Lombardo is one of the few Republican governors — following Vermont Governor Phil Scott and former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker — to sign a law entrenching abortion protections.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo speaks in Carson City, Nevada on May 30, 2023. Lombardo announced he is anchoring protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers. (AP Photo/Tom R. Smedes)
The provisions were a major flashpoint in one of the closest gubernatorial races to the 2022 midterm elections, becoming the latest point of reflection for how Republican lawmakers and candidates are navigating abortion policy debates in blue to purple states. Lombardo originally said he would revoke the executive order, but months later said he would uphold it, a reversal that Sisolak’s campaign repeatedly stressed. In February, he indicated he would sign the bill, which adds no additional protection to Sisolak’s executive order.
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“Governor Lombardo made a campaign commitment to ensure that Nevada would not participate in the prosecution of those seeking legal medical care in the state,” spokesman Elizabeth Ray said in a statement. “Today, Governor Lombardo kept that commitment.”
Cannizzaro told The Associated Press last month she was not aware of specific cases of foreign states prosecuting women who come to Nevada for abortion, but said it could happen with stricter laws from other states. She was referring to restrictions passed in neighboring Idaho and Utah.
Democratic-controlled states from California to Colorado to Rhode Island have passed legislation similar to that in Nevada.
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The Nevada State Senate introduced the legislation last month, with two Republican women joining Democrats in support of the bill. After the vote, the Nevada Republican Party said it was “appalled” that the two voted in favor of the measure, which exposed an intra-Republican divide on how to handle abortion legislation in a post-Roe world. In other cases, the issue is to what extent access to abortion should be restricted. The Nevada GOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Tuesday’s signing.
Earlier this month, the Democratic-controlled Nevada legislature introduced a resolution that would enshrine existing abortion rights in the state constitution, making them much more difficult to repeal. After passing the 2023 session, it must also pass in 2025 before appearing before voters on the 2026 ballot. That process does not include the governor’s approval.
